I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dental matrix, and more particularly to a dental matrix for use in restoration of a tooth.
II. Description of the Prior Art
The application of a restorative material to a patient's tooth for cosmetic and curative purposes is known. Typical methods of applying restorative material are, cementing prefabricated veneers to a surface of the tooth, bonding veneers or coatings of composite material to a surface of the tooth or filling voids or cavities with restorative material and the like.
Veneers or coatings of composite restorative may be applied for reconstructing teeth or for restoring or masking defects such as developmental abnormalities and fluorosis stains.
The surface of a damaged tooth may be restored by applying a composite restorative resin such as Heliosit or Silux to the surface and curing the material. In order to maintain proper spacing between the tooth being restored and adjacent teeth, the dentist may insert a Mylar strip encircling the tooth and restorative resin during the curing step.
A decayed portion of a tooth may be restored by mounting a celluloid crown form to a tooth and injecting restorative material into the cavity or void. However, such crown forms are frequently too thick to be positioned interproximally to maintain proper spacing. After the restorative resin is cured, the dentist contours, shapes, and polishes the restorative material so as to produce an appearance of a properly formed and colored natural tooth. However, considerable skill and time on the part of the dentist is required to produce a proper form and an attractive appearance to the coating of the restorative material. Additionally, it is difficult to control and observe the restorative material within the crown form resulting in undesired voids in the restorative material after curing.
It is also known to form a prefabricated veneer of porcelain or composite material over a dental cast or model for bonding to the surface of a tooth. As is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,593 to Cohen et al, a veneer blank is ground and shaped by a lab technician using a dental cast of the patient's teeth. The veneers are then encompassed by a flexible mold for removal from the dental cast and transferred in proper orientation to be secured on the patient's teeth. However, this method requires preparation of special molds and dental casts. As a result, this method is quite time consuming and costly.
Thus, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus which would greatly reduce the amount of time, skill, and expense of applying coverings such as restorative materials and veneers to teeth.